There is a lot of question marks going into this season. No doubt about it. Will Fitzpatrick have a good year? Can we stop the run? Will the defense improve substantially? Can we count on some of the young guys to pull through? Will the rookies make a difference?
It can easily go the wrong way, too, but I have a lot of faith in this team. I think fitzpatrick can be a good game managing quarterback. He's smart. He's good at spreading the ball around. He'll throw some INTs. That's why we need a good defense. The defense was pitiful last year. That's the biggest factor going into the season.
There is a lot of question marks going into this season. No doubt about it. Will Fitzpatrick have a good year? Can we stop the run? Will the defense improve substantially? Can we count on some of the young guys to pull through? Will the rookies make a difference?
It can easily go the wrong way, too, but I have a lot of faith in this team. I think fitzpatrick can be a good game managing quarterback. He's smart. He's good at spreading the ball around. He'll throw some INTs. That's why we need a good defense. The defense was pitiful last year. That's the biggest factor going into the season.
At least on paper, our D looks a lot better this year. We should actually get pressure on quarterbacks without having to blitz all the time. Isn't our d line made of Mario, Kyle Williams, Mark Anderson, and Dareus for now? That's a lot better than anything we've had in a while. As the Giants have proven many times the past few years, consistently getting pressure on the QB without relying on blitzes makes life way easier for the rest of your defense. And we've shored up our depth a decent amount. Would prefer having better DBs since McKelvin sucks, McGee is gonna be injured, and Gilmore/Williams are unproven.
At least on paper, our D looks a lot better this year. We should actually get pressure on quarterbacks without having to blitz all the time. Isn't our d line made of Mario, Kyle Williams, Mark Anderson, and Dareus for now? That's a lot better than anything we've had in a while. As the Giants have proven many times the past few years, consistently getting pressure on the QB without relying on blitzes makes life way easier for the rest of your defense. And we've shored up our depth a decent amount. Would prefer having better DBs since McKelvin sucks, McGee is gonna be injured, and Gilmore/Williams are unproven.
I still think Anderson gets used more as a situational guy, with Kelsay getting 1st and 2nd down snaps, since Kelsay is only worth a damn against the run.
Plus, with Mario being a solid run defender as well, and Williams/Dareus clogging up the middle, it should open more long down-and-distance situations for Anderson/Merriman to be effective.
I still think Anderson gets used more as a situational guy, with Kelsay getting 1st and 2nd down snaps, since Kelsay is only worth a damn against the run.
Plus, with Mario being a solid run defender as well, and Williams/Dareus clogging up the middle, it should open more long down-and-distance situations for Anderson/Merriman to be effective.
Agreed. Past bills defenses have only been effective because they got a ton of turnovers. Look at the pats game last year, or the MNF game against dallas a few years ago. We got big plays from the D, but we still couldn't stop the other team from driving down the field a lot. I think this team can actually have more consistent success and get stops without INTs/fumble recoveries.
More specifically...if the d line can be as dominant as their potential shows...then we should be much improved. A top 5 pass rush would dramatically help the defense overall.
This and a full season of "healthy Wood". Eric Wood that is, if he plays the whole year that's huge need him to anchor that O-line..
I think Williams will be fine, since he's had lots of time to rehab and if there is one thing you can say about him, it's that he works his ass off on and off the field. That kinda attitude inspires confidence that he's gonna do his utmost to be ready not just to play but do so at an elite level.
Wood is a bit of a question mark...but I think he feels he rushed back last year and this time is determined to rehab completely before getting out there. Which may mean he'll be healthier, but we shall see. But I agree, a healthy Wood next to Levitre on that line is crucial for the Bills success.
I think Williams will be fine, since he's had lots of time to rehab and if there is one thing you can say about him, it's that he works his ass off on and off the field. That kinda attitude inspires confidence that he's gonna do his utmost to be ready not just to play but do so at an elite level.
Wood is a bit of a question mark...but I think he feels he rushed back last year and this time is determined to rehab completely before getting out there. Which may mean he'll be healthier, but we shall see. But I agree, a healthy Wood next to Levitre on that line is crucial for the Bills success.
A healthy Wood and Levitre makes that interior downright stout. Wood and Williams both have got to stay healthy this year or I'm giving up on them, though. I love talent and potential but if you're not fulfilling it, we might as well just find someone who can do 80 percent of what theyre capable of 100 percent of the time.
I was looking at the conference today at work and I'm curious as to who everyone here sees as playoff contenders in the AFC? I generally line the conference up into three tiers: Divisional Favorites, Borderline Teams, and Also-Rans. While with parity we occasionally have a surprise team jump around tiers, we are at the point in the pre season where we can at least project a moderately accurate outlook of who stands a chance to make the playoffs this season. This looks like our best chance in years, not because of our improved roster so much but instead because of the implosion of teams that used to lock up spots year in and year out. Indy and San Diego are shells of their former selves. Pittsburgh is fundamentally weaker than I've seen in years. From what I see, the tiers look like this:
Divisional Favorites:
New England
Baltimore
Houston
Denver
Kansas City makes the playoffs, y'all watch it happen.
I just don't like Cassell or Quinn and a team with a weak passing game is at a disadvantage these days. They can run the ball all they want but it won't compensate for a flawed passing attack. The defense is iffy. If it stays healthy as a unit then I could see them flirting with 9-7 and jumping a tier. That's a big if though and losing Brandon Carr will hurt. But hey, i'm wrong more than i'm right so who knows...
A healthy Wood and Levitre makes that interior downright stout. Wood and Williams both have got to stay healthy this year or I'm giving up on them, though. I love talent and potential but if you're not fulfilling it, we might as well just find someone who can do 80 percent of what theyre capable of 100 percent of the time.
I was looking at the conference today at work and I'm curious as to who everyone here sees as playoff contenders in the AFC? I generally line the conference up into three tiers: Divisional Favorites, Borderline Teams, and Also-Rans. While with parity we occasionally have a surprise team jump around tiers, we are at the point in the pre season where we can at least project a moderately accurate outlook of who stands a chance to make the playoffs this season. This looks like our best chance in years, not because of our improved roster so much but instead because of the implosion of teams that used to lock up spots year in and year out. Indy and San Diego are shells of their former selves. Pittsburgh is fundamentally weaker than I've seen in years. From what I see, the tiers look like this:
Divisional Favorites:
New England
Baltimore
Houston
Denver
A healthy Wood and Levitre makes that interior downright stout. Wood and Williams both have got to stay healthy this year or I'm giving up on them, though. I love talent and potential but if you're not fulfilling it, we might as well just find someone who can do 80 percent of what theyre capable of 100 percent of the time.
What does that even mean? Whether or not they make it through the season without injury is mostly out of their control.
What does that even mean? Whether or not they make it through the season without injury is mostly out of their control.
In the case for Williams and Wood I would agree, there are some athletes that have terrible conditioning though and seems like there always getting hurt....
What does that even mean? Whether or not they make it through the season without injury is mostly out of their control.
It means exactly what it says. If Wood and Williams can't stay healthy then they aren't worth keeping around. I'd rather have a player who may be less talented but can play twice as many games. If Wood/Williams can overcome the injuries that have hampered them then that's great and better for the Bills but if they don't stay on the field this season then we are better off without them. Wood has missed nearly a full season of starts in his first three seasons with us. Williams missed 11 games last year and while he's been healthy otherwise, I don't trust nagging injuries. This is a big year for both of these guys.
It means exactly what it says. If Wood and Williams can't stay healthy then they aren't worth keeping around. I'd rather have a player who may be less talented but can play twice as many games. If Wood/Williams can overcome the injuries that have hampered them then that's great and better for the Bills but if they don't stay on the field this season then we are better off without them. Wood has missed nearly a full season of starts in his first three seasons with us. Williams missed 11 games last year and while he's been healthy otherwise, I don't trust nagging injuries. This is a big year for both of these guys.
Again, whether or not they stay healthy is out of their control to such a degree that your statement doesn't even make sense. Any replacement would be just as likely to get hurt.
Do not discount Oakland/Kansas City/San Diego. Oakland looked really good early on before injuries killed them--our win against them looked like it could be a potential tiebreaker. Kansas City was much improved after their coaching change. And the Chargers are the Chargers, ever the mystery.
One of those three teams will be in the hunt next year. Granted, I'm not automatically giving Denver the division either--especially until we see Peyton Manning in game action, and I doubt 2 of the West teams make the playoffs...but the AFC West is wide open
Kansas City makes the playoffs, y'all watch it happen.
I think KC gets underestimated. They were fairly competitive toward the end of last year with a lot of key players hurt.
The Chiefs defense is very, very good. The just added the space eating nose tackle they needed. And the offense should be better without Haley, who didn't have anyone to balance him out since he was the head coach, and probably lost his offensive players after a while. Cassel at least.
Again, whether or not they stay healthy is out of their control to such a degree that your statement doesn't even make sense. Any replacement would be just as likely to get hurt.
Some players are more injury prone than others. I don't see how you don't understand this. I'm not questioning the character or the work ethic of either guy. I loved Connolly for the Sabres but I think we all can agree he was injury prone and had to be replaced. Same can be said for Wood and Williams if they miss extended amounts of time again...
Some players are more injury prone than others. I don't see how you don't understand this. I'm not questioning the character or the work ethic of either guy. I loved Connolly for the Sabres but I think we all can agree he was injury prone and had to be replaced. Same can be said for Wood and Williams if they miss extended amounts of time again...
That's only true in the case of chronically reoccurring injuries or a propensity to get injured based on playing style (e.g. Connolly not keeping his head up). I don't see how Wood can be said to fit either of these criteria at this point, but that's not to say in retrospect he won't. That leg injury a couple (?) years ago was a brutal fluke injury that would have taken any NFL body out for the season and nothing particular about his playing style caused it. It's also not something that causes notable chronic issues.
Point is, with Wood there's really no reason not to consider his relative lack of health a pure matter of chance, and it makes no sense to project the same coin flips going forward because that's not how chance works.
